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“So, how did your trip to the emergency room go?”
Elizabeth held her hand in front of her friend’s eyes. “Fine, I have six stitches. Can you believe that, all because of my awful neighbor?”
Holly arched a brow. “How exactly was any of this Joe’s fault?”
“Well, if he hadn’t been so annoying, I wouldn’t have gotten so angry and flustered. I would have never broken the glass and cut my hand.”
“Are you hearing what you’re saying? That doesn’t make any sense.”
Elizabeth thought for a moment, as her cheeks heated. Her words did sound foolish and immature.
Holly didn’t take but a few seconds to change the subject. “Oh my God. Is Sam not to die for? He’s absolutely gorgeous, and a great kisser. We’re going out on a date this weekend, dinner and dancing. We should double. You and Joe should come along,” Her friend’s face lit with excitement.
“Excuse me...double...me and Joe. I don’t think so. Besides, you know I don’t have time for this kind of stuff right now.”
“He seems nice enough to me, and you need to loosen up a bit and have some fun before you find yourself old and alone”
Holly’s suggestion hung with her the rest of the afternoon. Was her friend right?
Upon arriving home, she pulled a small stack from her mailbox before entering her house. With the exception of one piece, her box had been stuffed with department store sale fliers. She opened the odd envelope to find a handmade ‘get well’ card inside. On the front was a drawing of a house, her house, and a person standing on her front doorstep. The inside of the card simply read, “Elizabeth, Get Well soon!” and was signed by Max, Molly, and Joe. Judging from the penmanship, one of the children must have written the words.
How bazaar. Why are they being nice, and what do they want from me?
As Elizabeth stuffed the card back into the envelope, she stepped out onto her driveway and glanced inquisitively at her neighbor’s house. It was dark enough outside, and bright enough inside, that she could see him and the children sitting at a card table in the living room laughing as they played some sort of board game. As Joe stood and reached across the table to put away the game she couldn’t help but notice how his T-shirt fit snugly around his muscular chest and arms. Thrill snapped through her veins. Her brain told her eyes to look away, but her deceiving gaze stayed focused on him.
Joe reached toward Molly, scooped her up, and kissed her on the cheek. In one swift movement, he snatched up Max in his other arm and started spinning in a circle like he was some sort of carnival ride. The kids displayed smiles stretching from ear to ear. After a few circles, he set them down and finished packing up the game.
Elizabeth thought about her childhood. She couldn’t recall one time her parents played a game with her. Her dad was always too busy with his business deals, and her mom too busy with her charity functions and spa treatments. The nanny always took care of entertaining her.
Sadness encased her. She couldn’t help but wonder if her father would have paid more attention to her, had she been born a boy.
Chapter Seven
Elizabeth had been at her new job for nearly two months now and it seemed to be going well. She truly enjoyed working for Mr. Kent, and he was turning out to be the great mentor she had anticipated. He knew of her goal to become a Managing Director, took her under his wing, and seemed to set out to do his best to make it happen for her.
A knock on her door startled her out of her thought process. She glanced up to find Mr. Kent standing in her doorway, coat on, briefcase in hand, and wearing a smile that seemed unstoppable.
